Traditional models of clientelism assume little choice for poor voters, but India's urban slums show broker competition.

➡️ METHODOLOGY & SAMPLE

To understand resident preferences and selection dynamics, we employed an ethnographically informed conjoint survey experiment with 2,199 residents across 110 diverse slums in two major Indian cities (Delhi).

➡️ KEY FINDINGS

Survey results revealed that slum residents prioritize brokers demonstrating strong capability to access government services over other factors.

➡️ BROKER VERSUS CLIENT TRAITS

Interviews with 629 slum leaders confirmed client-preferred traits significantly distinguish brokers from non-broker residents.

➡️ POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS

These findings challenge the view that broker-client ties form automatically, demonstrating how individual resident choices actively shape brokerage environments.